Windshield cleaner



Oct. 14, 1952 o E 2,613,387 w WINDSHIELD CLEANER Filed Feb. 4. 1947 INVENTOR Job/7 fl. 0/5/7e/ ATTORNEYS Patented Oct. 14, 1952 John Oishei, Buffalo, N. Y., assignor to Trico v "Products Corporation, Buffalo, N. Y.

v iipplicatlon February 4; 1947, Serial No."l2(i,396

' 12 Claims. (01.15-255) g This invention relates,

the windshield cleaning art and primarily'tothe wiper carrying arm which imposes a spring urge upon the wiper or blade in orderto securethe desired pressure in the wiping contactof thev blade upon the windshield surface.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide an improved wiper arm by which the spring urge will be varied in accordance with climatic changes. vForexample, in. one season of the year it maybe moredesirable to havea heavier wiping pressure than in other seasons. Again, it may be desirable to lighten. the spring urge upon the rubber wiper during hot weather to avoid the rubber taking a set and thereby becoming deformed with a' consequential impairmentin its wiping efficiency. v

More particularly the aim of the present invention is. toprovide a windshield cleaner in which the wiping pressure or spring urge will be thermostatically controlled for securing a uniformityin the operation of the windshield cleaner mechanism. l

Furthenthe in when has as animportant object. the provisionfof a windshield cleaner in which. the wiping pressure may be selectively varied andplacedunder thecontrol-of a motorist whereby he may.a' djust,the wiping pressure from his seat whenever thenecessity for such pressure variation arises.

These and further objects will manifest themselves as the iollowing "description progresses, reference being had-to the accompanying drawing, wherein o j V Fig. l is a view showing the improved wiper arm as 'operatively applied to a windshield;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view more clearly showing ajthern 'ostatic control for the spring pressure of the arm} p Fig. 3 is a fragmentary bottom plan viewof the arm;

Fig. 4 is a view showing a modified embodiment of the invention; and

Fig. 5 is a further embodiment in which the thermostatic action is manually controlled.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, the numeral I designates an oscillatory drive shaft suitably journaled at the lower side of the windshield 2 andcarrying atits-iorward end the wiper arm which latterembodies a shaft mounted section 3 to which is pivotally connected, as by a pin 4, the outer, wiper carrying section 5. At its free end, this outer.;;section is connected to the wiperfi by an attachingclip -'I so that when the shaft oscillates the wipe; arm, the wiper will be moved back and forth across the surface of the windshield 2.

Thewiping pressure is imposed upon the wiper 6 through the outer arm section 5, and for this purpose the illustrated embodiment of the invention utilizes a flat spring 8 whichis suitably anchored at one endto one of the arm sections, as indicated at 9, and has its opposite end bearing upon and deflected by a supporting part Ill onthe companion arm section. The arrangement is such that the fiat spring 8 urges the wiper carrying end of the arm toward the windshield.

In accordance with the present invention, temperature responsive means are provided to vary the springurge impressed upon the wiper by the arm in harmony with the prevailing temperature of the surrounding atmosphere. v

A simple and compact embodiment of the present invention incorporates the temperature responsive characteristicin the pressure spring 8. To this end the spring is made of a thermally responsive, bi-metal strip with the result that as temperature changes occur the thermally responsive, bi-metal spring will likewise respond to vary the urge placed upon the wiper. The two metals composing the thermostatic spring will have different coefflcients of expansion. As an example, the bi-metal spring may be composed oi layersof brass and-steel suitably united to secure the thermostatic flexure. The steel strip may be heavier than the brass strip to insure the proper spring pressure for the wiping contact. The wiper actuating arm will therefore vary the degree, of its urge upon the; wiper. This will enable a firmer contact on the windshield glass at one time of the year in comparison to the springurge imposedat other times. Thus, the wiping pressure may be increased for winter use over that determinedfor summer use; Especially would this be desirable in usewith an antiarrangement being such that the thermally re- -sponsive element will tend to modify the functioning of the primary spring Ii.

The thermostatic spring will therefore modify the spring action of the arm by adding to or subtracting from the combined spring pressure of both spring elements 8 and H. This arrangement enables the two spring elements to have different degrees of elasticity as Well as different characteristics. With the secondary or thermostatic spring being superimposed directly upon the primary spring, the former cwill act upon the latter to modify the action of such primary spring.

The wipingpressure is automatically regulated to accomplish the greatest efficiency from the windshield cleaner. The construction is simple and acting on said spring to vary such urge for changing the wipingpressure.

4. A wiper arm comprising pivotally connected inner and outer-sections, and spring means embodying a flat spring anchored at one end on one section and having its free end supported under lateral deflection by a part of the companion section, said spring means incorporating a1thermo-responsive element for varying the lateral deflection ofthe fiatspr'ing in accordance with and in'response to thermal changes in the surrounding atmosphere. ISTA' lw'iper arm having a shaft engaging secand the arm may thereforebe econ really I ,arrd apivo tally connected blade actuating manufactured with a minimum number arts rid afithermal bi-metal spring mounted and operations. If desired, the anchorage may be in the form of a screw to enable 'general'adjustment so as to condition the arm for-seasonal use. In this event the thermostatic element ul f n t on au em iee l t mod f the .5 1 eral setting of the springmade by'rnanually ad Ju ine h mo ntin crew .th. 1 through the spring "and thread prthesmrinec In themed ndepicted n'Fig. Eytlre ther- .19 ba or brin 18 i l m cr un e norn r s in tn xsfame matte a? in l j Fl SS1, nd'3-"1lr wev r il b ci m neeessary er re tat time? t rm .rer y vary he wir ng ess re a 110? xam l 9 B I i 'eiii lticle h arin tithe dr shield, 'for which purposethe wiping pressre may be increased. To this end ftlrerce is assoc at Led w h t e thermostat Spring a hea n 1 ement l such a a Thu the b ating me be 1 si ns utes a m an wh ch is rea i e ees le Hi is m i r e' Yer ias nsisti -Pressure Q -ian ed e r im terve While the foregoing description has been given in ta 1 9 h ls'f e 6 ea stness t nd es the ebyte imr'e s en il i i P611 the inventive principles which "may "assume other "physi bodiments without departing from y "spirit of the invention and thescope 'of the a b Q a What is claimed is;

1. fwiper'arm for windshield cleaners, having amovablewiper carrying part; and'resilient meansact ng orr'said part "to; impose a sprin urgeupon acarried wiper, said resilient means including a thermorespon'siv elem summaryon one section and bearing upon deflection upon the adjacentsection for varying the spring pressuregimposed upon such blade in accordance with temperature changes.

6. A wiper arm comprising pivotally joined inner"a'd"oute'r arm f's'ectiojns; a flat spring arranged between said'sectioii and being anchored obne stidfi 'with'itsopposite end portion pported'undef lateral deflection by a parfi'ontheompanioif section and varying in its deflection during relative pivotal movement between 'the "sections; and thermo-responsive iriar'i's ectiiig I thsprihg to modify'its 'spnngfirce'.

wiper arm comprising pivotally joined inner" and outer arm" sections. a spring anchored ato e'end to onesectiomwith its'oppos'ite end pot e stpter j a undenlatejal"deflection by a pa ton the companion section and varying in its deflection curing" relative pivotal movement between the section's, thermally responsive spring means superimposed semiar coja'cting with said s'prinig to'm'odify"thetotal spring pressure appl ed 9 Y mer ed eti outer Said arm. "Q8; A wipe a rn for'windshield cleaners, comprising a shaft engaging section and a blade actuating sectio pivotally connected thereto, a flat spring'h ving one end anchored to one section'a'r'rd its opposite end bearing laterally on a part Iii me com n on section and a oresponsive bij-rn't string arranged on the flat nlgffo'r coacting therewith in'providin the wiping pressure for su'ch blade.

9 Awiper arm for windshield cleaners, comprising shaft aging'section anda blade ac- 4 I PWQWlnn d thereto, a flat springhav'ingdneend anchored to one section and its opposite end bearing laterally on a part of nlto provide the wiping pres and a thermostatic thermoanchored to said one saidparg or the com n n in ti n fo s et n's'fwit m s rmgm providing the spring pressure for'var'ying thewiping pressure in accordance with the surrounding temperature.

10. Awiper arm for'windshield cleaners having. a wipercarrying arfi'afiu "a spring acting thereonTo-rf providing the "required wipingpressurein 'the'contact of the'wiper'upon the surface being wipeuiand therI-nd responsive means acting 'OIi'th'e "spring-to 'In'odif pjrm'gur'ge in a cord: anc'ewitlfi'thosurrounding emperatu'ref" '11. A wiper arm ro'r windshield cleaners, comprising 'a body, havifiga'wip'er "carrying part movable toward and-from the surface being wiped, thermostatic spring means acting 'upon'said part to provide the 'desired 'wiping 'pressure' for the wiper, and heating means associated with the 6 REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

5 UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,109,852 Marschall Sept. 8, 1914 1,368,982 Beitman Feb. 15, 1921 1,898,174 Dubilier Feb. 21, 1933 2,025,888 Olivero Dec. 21, 1935 2,332,660 Mussen Oct. 26, 1943 

